Erika L. Wood

Associate Professor of Law

Erika L. Wood joined NYLS in fall 2011 to teach Legal Practice. Previously, she was the Deputy Director of the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice, where she designed and launched major reform campaigns around the country and provided legal counsel and strategic guidance to advocates, legislators, and policymakers nationwide. Professor Wood created the Brennan Center Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Advisory Council as well as the Center’s Communities of Faith Initiative. She has litigated complex civil rights cases and is a frequent speaker and commentator on voting rights, criminal justice reform and racial justice issues. Professor Wood previously taught as an adjunct professor in the Public Policy Advocacy Clinic at New York University School of Law and was an attorney with the Legal Action Center. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets across the country, including The New York Times, Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and National Public Radio. In 2009, Professor Wood was awarded the Eric. R. Neisser Public Interest Award by Rutgers Law School in recognition of her efforts to carry forward the law school’s mission of providing liberty and justice for all.